Chapter 9
“Katya?”
“Our housekeeper.” Alexei smiled and took Donal’s right hand.
“Who are you?” The boy attempted belligerence but his condition betrayed him and it came across as uncertainty and confusion. He pulled his hand away.
“I’m Alexei Ivanovich Davidoff. I found you in the park. Why don’t you—2rdquo;
“I meant to end it…you stopped me.”
“You don’t have to worry about Apuso, we took care of it.”
“Apuso will chase me until I’m dead,” Donal replied bitterly.
“There are eight guards in this house. You are safe, please believe me. Please, you have to eat something. You need to eat to become healthy again.”
“I’m not really hungry,” the boy responded shakily. Sean again took Donal’s hand in his.
“If you were hungry, what would you eat?” Alexei gently persisted.
“I haven’t had scrambled eggs, bacon, and home fries for years, with some rye toast and jelly?” Donal’s face appeared wistful.
“What kind of jelly?”
“Grape? If I am dreaming, I might as well dream big.” Donal’s wide-eyed gaze focused on Alexei’s face.
“Grape it is.” Alexei turned to Vasily who stood behind his right shoulder. “Vasily?”
“I’ll see to it.” Vasily rode the elevator to the basement kitchen.
“Alexei, may I speak to you in private?” Kane asked nervously.
“Of course.” They stepped outside the room while the nurse added another saline bag to the IV line. Grigory followed his Alpha, as was his duty.
“His tastes and reactions may be those of a fourteen-year-old boy, an embittered man, or a young man pathetically grateful for the rescue. I don’t know which. If he’s resilient, he might survive this with his psyche intact, but his growth was stunted by the malnutrition and poor living conditions. He’ll always be small.”
“I don’t care about how tall he is.” Alexei shifted his gaze to the small figure in the bed. “He’s my Mate.”
“He’s had no opportunity to learn how to live a normal life.” Kane spoke quietly. “He must have come from a bad situation to have run away at fourteen. I can help, but he may need medication from Dr. Coté to function for a while. However, because he’s been through detox, I don’t know if Coté can prescribe anything. I’d call him and ask him to come so he can assess Donal and give him the help he requires immediately. But, he’s going to need to see Eugene long-term.”
* * * *
“I’ll arrange for it. He’s to get whatever he needs or wants. If that means Eugene, so be it.” Grigory cleared his throat. This was an opportunity to help the Alpha, too.
“You could go with him, Alpha, so he won’t feel like we think he’s crazy.” When they arrived in New York, Vasily had gently suggested Alexei see Eugene Coté and he had refused, calling psychiatrists quacks. Now that his Mate needed help he changed his tune. Grigory smiled. Alexei had been in a dark depression ever since they arrived. The little mouse was already working magic, and he was barely awake.
* * * *
Alexei stood at the door watching the boy in the bed. Maybe it would help things along if I went with him.He stopped woolgathering and attempted to pay attention to Kane when all he wanted to do was run back into his suite.
“I warn you, he may try to leave once he’s less groggy. Even though he’s been through detox, in a few hours, he may be looking for a fix.” The elevator whirled and cranked as it came up.
Katya stepped off the elevator with a tray full of breakfast. She brought rolls, croissants, eggs, bacon, sausage, cold cuts, buttered rye toast, and oatmeal. Vasily had found grape jelly at the corner market.
The Russian Alpha took the tray. “Thank you, Katya. I am grateful.”
Alexei faced Kane. “I’m going to try to feed him now.”
“I’ll be downstairs with the others.” Kane left the room.
“You’re the one who took me from the park?” Donal asked from the bed. “I meant to die last night. If you are going to keep me prisoner, even in a comfortable prison, I’ll escape.” Donal sounded belligerent.
“No, little mouse—2rdquo;
“Mouse?”
Alexei ignored the question and continued, “You aren’t my prisoner. I would wish you to stay until your lungs are clear and you are healthy, but I won’t force you to stay. They imprisoned me in my homeland for three years for being gay. I was tortured, beaten, starved, and defiled daily. I would not do that to anyone.”
“I can leave right now?” Donal stared him straight in the eyes as if he could read the truth there.